Fitchburg cab owner to repay rider $2, may raise senior rates

Monday

Jan 14, 2013 at 10:00 PMJan 14, 2013 at 11:09 PM

By Paula J. Owen TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

After overcharging seniors for years, Ken’s Taxi/Classic Cab owner Robert Soto said tonight he would reimburse $2 to one of his senior customers who complained to the License Commission, and might raise seniors’ rates.

While waiting for a hearing on the matter at City Hall tonight, James V. White, a 70-year-old disabled senior, said he relies heavily on the only taxi service in the city and has paid around $200 a month in fares the past few years.

Those fares, he said, have fluctuated sporadically from $3 to $6 per ride.

However, rates are regulated by the License Commission, and taxi services are required to submit established rates to the commission. Several years ago, the business established a flat rate for seniors of $2.50 per ride.

Mr. White said he estimates he has overpaid around $40 to $50 a month in fares for years.

He said he complained to the commission on Nov. 15, not only for himself, but also for all of the other seniors who rely on the service in the city and are at the mercy of whatever rate the company happens to be charging.

Mr. Soto missed the first hearing on the matter on Dec. 10. He said he never received notification. At that meeting, the commission said Mr. White should be reimbursed for overpayments, and continued the item to Monday night.

Mr. Soto said tonight that fare increases were approved at two hearings before the commission after the $2.50 flat rate for seniors was set. Mr. Soto said he believed the company was charging the correct fares, adding that he increased rates twice for seniors. However, commission member James J. Kelly Jr. said the commission was very specific at those hearings that the approved increases did not include senior rates.

“This is going to be fun because we are going to regulate it,” Mr. Kelly said of the senior rates. “Right now it is all over the map.”

Mr. Kelly said that at those earlier hearings Mr. Soto and his former partner, Kenneth Bergeron Sr., were against putting meters in the cabs.

“I think we have to start doing that,” Mr. Kelly said.

“We’re not paying for it,” responded Kenny Bergeron Jr., the company’s business manager. “Who’s paying for it? The city?” He added that the fares were more than fair. In Worcester, he said, the average three-mile cab fare was $18 and customers are charged $5 just to get into the cab.

As he was questioned by commission members, Kenny Bergeron grew agitated and challenged the commission’s right to regulate the rates. At one point, he threatened to shut the taxi service down and only handle the business’ private accounts. The city would be in chaos without a taxi service, he said. He said he was unaware of the rates on file with the city.

After he was told to calm down and after further discussion of the matter, taxi company representatives said there had been a misunderstanding and they would submit their current established rates. They also said they were committed to making the situation right.

The commission suggested reimbursing Mr. White some of his overpayments or providing him with vouchers for rides.

Mr. White asked that Mr. Soto donate the money to a fund to establish a homeless shelter in the city.

After the meeting in the hall, the taxi men said they were going to discuss raising rates for seniors.

When he was asked how much he planned to reimburse Mr. White, Mr. Soto held up a copy of two receipts — one for $3 and one for $4 — given to him by the License Commission and said, “This is all I’m doing. This is all I’m taking care of.”

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